Lithuanian Robertas Petronis raided homes for booze in sleepy village but cops found him in his car slumped over the wheel with an open bottle of rum inside it along with several empty cans of Stella
A booze-fuelled burglar who crept into villagers’ homes as they slept to steal alcohol was found by an off-duty officer slumped at the wheel of his vehicle “blocking” a car park entrance.
Robertas Petronis not only targeted his neighbours’ properties while they were still in bed but, on at least one occasion, while they were just sitting in their front rooms.
The 45-year-old, who is originally from Lithuania, was also found in his car slumped over the wheel with an open bottle of rum inside it along with several empty cans of Stella.
Petronis, of Cliffe, in Kent, admitted three counts of burglary and one count of burglary with the intent to steal, driving without insurance, being drunk in charge of a vehicle, and failing to surrender to custody. He has also admitted to two breaches of a community order he’d been given for another offence of drink-driving.
A pre-sentencing report was ordered in May, and he returned to Medway Magistrates Court to learn his fate. Victoria Aked, prosecuting, said: “I’ll take a stab in the dark, but I think he’s got a problem with alcohol.” Petronis’s first offence occurred on December 17, when an off-duty police officer found him slumped in his car, blocking the entrance to Vinters car park in Maidstone.
When he attempted to use a breathlyser, he blew the cardboard tube out, eventually giving a reading of 54 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35. Officers found an open bottle of Captain Morgan’s rum in the car as well as several cans of Stella.
Petronis was taken to Medway Police Station where became aggressive, then fell asleep at the custody desk and called officers “c***s”.
The first burglary took place on April 25 when he entered a neighbours house to steal booze. Ms Aked said: “The wife went to bed about 1.30am and the husband fell asleep on the sofa and went up later; they got up at 8am and she asked him if he had taken her bottle of vodka. “They later found out it had been taken from their home, and a bottle of Jack Daniels was missing too, and it belonged to a dead family member. The couple had no intention of drinking it; it just had sentimental value.”
CCTV footage confirmed Petronis has entered the house at 5am while the occupants were present. A day later Petronis was back at it again when he tried to enter another home in the village.
CCTV again caught him trying to get into the property via several access points, including the back door, conservatory and garage. On May 9 a man was watching a film during the early hours when he heard his dog barking and found a man standing in his kitchen. Ms Aked added: “He stopped inside but didn’t say anything and there was a £40 bottle of Moët on the kitchen worktop and the man shouted at him and he ran away with it.”
The prosecutor added: “He’s targeting homes with alcohol on display near his home address and he’s entered when people are present; there are no threats, but it’s incredibly scary for a stranger to walk into your home.” Petronis’ last burglary happened on June 28 when he entered a house on several occasions.
The homeowner went out to his car and noticed a bottle of Bucks Fizz smashed on his path.
The prosecutor added: “He didn’t know how it had got there and cleared it up and thought no more about it. “But at 2pm his wife was sitting in her front room, and she heard the back door go and thought it was her husband but saw Petronis and spoke to him. “She told him her name, and he introduced himself as Rob. She asked him what he wanted. He said whisky, but she told him she could only offer him tea.
“She could see he was intoxicated and escorted him out of the house and then noted the Bucks Fizz must have been him and then realised more alcohol was missing and he’d been in before.”
Magistrates were told Petronis, who is a self-employed carpenter, had also stolen a bottle of Tempranillo red wine from the home. Isaak Eliezer, mitigating, said his client should be given credit for his early guilty pleas and that there had been minimum intrusion to people’s homes.
The court also heard the last three or four years had been difficult for Petronis, which resulted in him drinking more alcohol. Mr Eliezer added: “His wife left and went back to Russia and he’s got between £50 and £70 grand worth of debt which his ex-partner had and this resulted in him drinking as he was overwhelmed by the debts and the end of his marriage. “His drinking behaviour led to his addiction, and he understands his actions were wrong; there is a need for help in this case.”
Magistrates decided that the case exceeded their powers of sentencing and sent it on to Maidstone Crown Court. Petronis was granted bail.